Creamy, custardy, vanilla filling, sandwiched between a layer of fresh bananas, nestled on top of a lightly sweetened crust. Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies are the perfect combination of fruit, protein, and a satisfying dessert. These little delights will leave you licking your fingers and fighting for seconds.

It was another busy week and a great weekend around here! Yesterday was a mellow day filled with family, fun, and even homemade sushi for a little date night in. Today, we went with our friends to the Selfridge Air Show, featuring the Blue Angels! The boys loved seeing all of their tricks in the sky. Check out a few of our favorite pictures 🙂

Speaking of favorites, if you ask Andrew his idea of the perfect dessert, he won’t hesitate to say, “banana cream pie”. When I first discovered this, I was shocked! When I think of dessert, I tend to think of MY favorite dessert, chocolate cake and ice cream. (I guess that’s two, but then again, how could you have chocolate cake without a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream? ;)) Ok, back to Andrew’s dessert. Let’s talk banana cream pie.

It took me awhile to get over the fact that anyone would want to have bananas with their dessert. Over the years with Andrew, I have sampled a variety of banana cream pies from different restaurants and bakeries. A few years ago, I decided to take my own crack at it, and I made Andrew a banana cream pie for his birthday. I used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen that was fairly involved, but well worth the effort. I couldn’t believe how much I liked it! All of the other banana cream pies that I had ever tasted didn’t even compare to this one. I loved the purity of the creamy, vanilla custard, with just a subtle layer of bananas. As much of a die hard chocolate lover that I am, I will confess that the whole banana cream pie idea has really grown on me. I’m still a chocolate lover at heart, but over time, I’ve started to develop my own special appreciation for this dessert.

There’s just one problem, though. When I hear the word “banana”, of course my mind first thinks, “fruit, healthy, good”, or something like that. But let’s be honest, that usually isn’t the case with your typical banana cream pie. Such a bummer! Especially, since I have such a new found appreciation for them. Well, let me introduce you to these Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies! These little guys pack a big punch both nutritionally AND on the taste front.

I used the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen as my inspiration, and from there, created a whole new, and even better banana cream pie. It’s easier, it’s creamier, it’s healthier! Everything we love about banana cream pie, rolled into a cute, mini, delectable little square. (Incase you’re wondering which pan I used for these, it’s the Wilton Brownie Bar Pan. I just got it and have been having a lot of fun with it lately!)

This is one banana cream recipe that will live up to it’s name and add some fruit (and protein) to your day, without weighing you down! These Healthy Mini Banana Cream Pies are satisfying enough for a birthday celebration, yet healthy enough for breakfast!!!

Combine dates and 1/4 cup water in a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Then add oat flour, almond meal, vanilla, salt, and milk (add an additional tablespoon of milk if necessary), and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Scrape crust batter into a small bowl, and scoop 2 tablespoons into each tin of a mini square brownie bar pan, coated generously with non-stick cooking spray. Once batter is evenly distributed, spray the top of each crust with cooking spray and using two fingers, gently press down, and spread batter into an even layer to cover the bottom of each tin. Wipe off excess spray from top of pan with a paper towel.(Use 1 tablespoon crust for a mini cake pan or a regular sized muffin tin.)

Bake crusts for 14-15 minutes (10 minutes for 1 tablespoon), until crust is set, and edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven, and place on stove top or wire rack to cool.

To make the filling:

Add dates and 1 cup milk to blender or food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Scraping down the sides as needed. Pour mixture into a large sauce pan, and add egg whites, remaining 1 cup milk, evaporated milk, cornstarch, agave, and salt to the sauce pan, and whisk together. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring almost constantly until mixture comes to a boil, making sure to reach the edges of the pan- you don't want scrambled eggs. Allow mixture to continue boiling for 1 minute while stirring constantly- mixture will become very thick. Remove pan from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour filling mixture into a heat-safe bowl, and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding. Allow filling to cool slightly, until still warm but not hot, for about 30 minutes.

When filling has cooled, scoop a small layer over each crust, and use the back of a small spoon to spread evenly, then top with 3 to 4 banana slices layered over the filling. Then top the banana layer with an even amount of the remaining filling. (If desired, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm Cookie Dough Crumble on top of the last layer of filling, and gently press the crumble into the filling.) Place plastic wrap directly over mini pies, and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional crumble or a dusting of almond meal before serving.

For Cookie Dough Crumble topping:

In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine oat flour, almond flour and salt and whisk together. Then add the peanut and almond butter, milk, honey, agave, and vanilla, and mix together until thick and smooth. Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes until dough starts to puff up and look slightly cooked on top. Let cool, then break up slightly. (Remaining crumble can be placed in an airtight container in the freezer, and crumbled on top of pies immediately before serving.)

Notes

For healthy mini vanilla cream pies, omit sliced banana.
This recipe works well with both skim and whole milk- whole milk will give it a slightly creamier consistency, but the difference is minimal.

Slightly sweet with a delightfully, nutty, oat taste. One recipe, two results. Enjoy it raw as a gooey hunk of cookie dough goodness, or cooked and cooled, as the perfect cookie crumble. Incredibly easy and super delicious, this Cookie Dough Crumble is sure to become a household favorite in no time!

We visited Blake’s Apple Orchard this weekend! Enjoy a few fun pictures from our adventures!

Serve it in chunks, balls or spoonfuls, for a true cookie dough experience. For the perfect crumble or pie crust topping, just pop it in the microwave for a few minutes, cool, freeze, and behold the goodness of this fantastic concoction. This is seriously one of our new favorite additions to our daily desserts!

Eat it plain, mix in the raw or cooked crumbles to your favorite ice cream, or add it to your yogurt to make the perfect parfait. When it comes to this Cookie Dough Crumble, the possibilities are endless!

In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, almond flour and salt and whisk together. Then add the peanut and almond butter, milk, honey, agave, and vanilla, and mix together until thick and smooth.

For Cookie Dough:

Shape raw dough into small balls, or roll into one large ball, flatten into a thick pancake, and wrap with plastic wrap, and place in freezer for at least two hours. Once firmed up, cut cookie dough into 1/2 inch chunks.

For Crumble:

Using a spatula, scoop raw dough into a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes until dough starts to puff up and look slightly cooked on top. Allow dough to cool, then break up slightly, and spoon into an airtight container and freeze for at least one hour or overnight (or up to one week). Serve over ice cream, fruit, or whatever needs a cookie crumble topping.

Sweet, wholesome, blueberry pancakes topped with a chunky blueberry sauce. Packed with flavor and mouthwatering goodness, these Oat Flour Blueberry Pancakes are such a great guiltless treat!

It has been quite a busy, but amazing two weeks as a family of FIVE! We are so in love with Charlie! He is seriously the best and easiest baby ever. William and James are fascinated with him and are the greatest big brothers! William has been a super helper lately, and James is our little helper in training. We are so thankful for all of our blessings. I don’t think Andrew or I could ever have imagined a better experience of having our third baby. I’m so happy to say that we are thriving and doing better than we ever imagined with a new born and two other little ones. We even had a date night in on Friday night and made our own sushi to celebrate Charlie turning two weeks old, and me getting a more than positive report from my doctor at my two week post baby check up! YUM!!!

Friday’s sushi night was such a hit, we even decided to do it again last night as an early Father’s Day celebration. It’s amazing how much better I got at perfecting my sushi rolling technique the second night. Sushi making was a huge success and a lot of fun, and I will definitely be posting about it soon!

This morning we continued to celebrate Father’s Day with a tall stack of these mouthwatering Oat Flour Blueberry Pancakes. What a great way to start out a bright sunny day. I don’t know what it is about blueberries. (I especially love the huge bag of Wyman’s Fresh Frozen Wild Blueberries I got from Costco the other day. If you can find this brand, I definitely recommend it.) All the sweetness and healthiness rolled into each little berry make for the perfect pancake mix. These pancakes were the perfect way to kick off a special day. With happy hearts and full tummies, we sent Andrew back to bed for a little extra sleep. (And after just having a baby two weeks ago, and with two other little ones, sleep is a gift that any daddy would love). 🙂

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad and Father-in-law! We love you so much!

Happy Father’s Day to my best friend, amazing husband, and the most incredible Daddy to our wonderful boys! You are totally awesome! Thank you for working so hard for our family, and for all of your unconditional love and support. (And thanks for changing ALL of the diapers in the last two weeks and doing so much around here while I healed!) You are the BEST! We love you SO much!

If you’re looking for the perfect way to wake up Dad or anyone you love one morning, consider making these Oat Flour Blueberry Pancakes, and starting the day with a heaping plate of blueberry pancake goodness.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Allow batter to sit out for about 20-30 minutes until thickened.

While batter is sitting, combine blueberries, applesauce, water and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan and stir. Heat over medium heat until just bubbling, then allow sauce to simmer for about 30 minutes until thick. Keep warm.

Heat a large grill pan or griddle over medium heat, and lightly coat with cooking spray or oil. After batter has been sitting, stir again before cooking. When pan is hot, ladle about 1/4 cup (or just a little less) of batter for each pancake. Cook on one side for about 3-4 minutes or until little bubbles appear. Flip over and cook on that side for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve pancakes with warm blueberry sauce.

Soft, fluffy, oatmeal pancakes, topped with a mountain of sweetened apples, cinnamon and spices. No Butter, No Flour, Oatmeal Pancakes with Warm Apple Compote are the perfect way to start your morning. Heart-healthy and fabulous, this is one breakfast that’s worth waking up for!

Who doesn’t love cutting into a huge stack of thick, warm pancakes on the weekends? I know I sure do! The texture, the taste, the comfort. All rolled up into a cute little pancake. Pile them high, pour on the syrup, top with a little pat of butter, and all is right with the world. Until that sinking feeling in your stomach reminds you that just maybe you should have gone a little lighter on the syrup, or should have only opted for a shorter stack of pancakes. You know how it is, when you look back and regret indulging in a such a tasty morning breakfast.

Well, here’s one pancake recipe that you can feel good about piling high! Grab your plate and stack them up! These No Butter, No Flour, Oatmeal Pancakes with Warm Apple Compote will give you all you need to start your weekend, or your weekday, off on the right foot! They are filled with everything good that your body needs to fuel your morning.

The other night, Andrew and I were talking about our old stomping ground, Atlanta, Georgia. During our conversation, one of our favorite breakfast spots, The Flying Biscuit Cafe, popped into our heads. We sure have a lot of fond memories of that place! I remember going there for dinner one night while I was pregnant with William, and I ordered their amazing Organic Oatmeal Pancakes. Yum! There was also the time that we took my parents there when they were visiting. We had to wait outside for a table for over an hour! (The place is just that good!) As we were waiting, at least we were able to enjoy the lovely weather (that’s one thing that Atlanta has over Michigan for sure!). Great conversation, a beautiful morning, and all of the friendly people passing by. However, we will never forget the one man that was walking by, and decided to loudly comment on my dad’s burnt-orange colored sweater vest. From all the way across the street, he looked at my dad, and shouted, “That’s FABOO!”, and kept on walking. After the man walked away, the four of us were just about doubled over laughing. How funny?!!! Now, whenever we think of The Flying Biscuit, or my dad’s orange vest, we can’t help but think, “It’s FABOO!”.

With a little inspiration from our friends down south, here it is! My totally “faboo” recipe for No Butter, No Flour, Oatmeal Pancakes with Warm Apple Compote.

Add the oatmeal mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk together. Then add the dry ingredients to the oat mixture and stir together using a rubber spatula, until just combined. Allow batter to sit for about 30 minutes to thicken.

While batter is sitting, you can make the compote: In a small sauce pan, combine apples, dates, water, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Turn heat to medium, and stir together. Allow mixture to come to a small boil, then turn heat to medium-low. Continue to simmer, stirring often, for about 30 minutes more, until apples are very soft, and the liquid has reduced greatly and looks thick and syrupy. Turn off heat and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and keep warm.

Lightly coat a non-stick griddle pan or frying pan with cooking spray, and pre-heat over a medium-low burner. Gently give batter one last stir after it has been sitting.

Once griddle is hot, ladle a little less than a 1/4 cup (about 3 tablespoons) of batter for each pancake, onto pan and cook pancakes on one side until small bubbles start to appear, about 3-4 minutes. Gently flip pancakes over and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 more minutes. Serve warm and top with apple compote.

Light, moist and fluffy mini-blueberry muffins that are packed with flavor, and skimp on the calories. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest help to carryout the big flavor in these little guys. Guiltless Blueberry Mini Muffins are perfect for breakfast, dessert, snacks or anytime.

What more could you ask for in a little muffin. Except maybe for them to also be gluten free, low in sugar, low fat, and maybe even sort of healthy? Well your search is over! Seriously, these little muffins are loaded with spices and everything good for you!

One of my main goals when creating this recipe was the health factor, and the other was of course the taste. When we tested the first version of this recipe, we liked it a lot, but thought something was missing. In other words, they were “almost there”. After a few additions, and four different batches later, we have a winner! For this recipe, I kicked up the cinnamon, added a tad more nutmeg, and threw in some lemon zest. I really like how these flavors compliment the oat flour, and work together with the blueberries to bring out their sweetness. The Greek yogurt helps to keep these muffins moist, and adds an extra dose of protein.

I have a feeling we can all use a little extra protein with these cold temperatures lately! This chilliness is not just a Michigan thing, either. Andrew and I have been thinking about our poor friends in Atlanta these past few days as they’re experiencing all sorts of problems due to the snow and freezing temps. This winter seems like it has a mind of its own.

When the boys and I got into the car yesterday morning at 9:30, the temperature was -4 degrees! Brrrrrr! That is just downright cold, if you ask me. Those are the kind of temperatures that pretty much make me want to stay inside all day and keep warm. Although, there’s something to be said for bundling up, heading out and braving the cold, and then coming home to our warm house. So that’s just what we did yesterday. We ran to the grocery store, the library for story time, and then headed straight home for lunch to thaw out.

After lunch, while James was napping, William and I decided that the best thing to do when it’s freezing outside, is to bake something warm and yummy inside. I love cooking with my kids! Even though sometimes it means taking longer, more messes, etc, etc. I think it’s so cute that they love to cook with me!

William and I made a double batch of these delightful minis, and had quite a nice time just the two of us. Next time you’re snowed in, or staying in because it’s too cold to go out, or just because, be sure to try these Guiltless Blueberry Mini Muffins.